The BBC is being urged to sack Strictly Come Dancing's Anton Du Beke following revelations this weekend that he had called his dance partner, Laila Rouass, a "paki". Du Beke, who also hosts Hole In The Wall, apologised "unreservedly" yesterday for the remarks said to have happened after Rouass had a spray tan.
Anti-racism groups have now compared the incident to former One Show correspondent Carole Thatcher's comments (where, during an off-air conversation in the show's green room, she claimed French tennis player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga looked like a "golliwog") and subsequent sacking and demanded Du Beke be dropped. "This is more serious than the Thatcher incident. It is the second time such language has been used," Nick Lowles, from HOPE Not Hate and anti-facist magazine Searchlight, told The Mirror. "Those are clearly his feelings. An apology isn't enough. He should be sacked." The Pakistan Welfare Association in London share the same view. "The P-word is offensive and racist and there should be repercussions," a spokesman told the Daily Star. "If someone at the BBC got the sack for using a racist term and another person seems to go unpunished for saying something similar, then where is the justice? If anyone said this in the workplace they'd probably be fired."
The BBC have confirmed that, although they have received 63 complaints from the public about Du Beke's remarks, they will stand by the performer. "The BBC does not condone offensive language in the workplace. Anton Du Beke has apologised unreservedly to Laila Rouass who has accepted his apology," the corporation said in a statement while a spokesman added, "Carol never apologised for her comment and Anton has."
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